Don't Fall
by openPandora'sBox
Summary: Sequel to "Blink at me, Skies." Caroline's decided to stop in Paris before heading back to Mystic Falls and she may have an unwanted shadow with business of his own in the City of Light.
1. Chapter 1

_I'd just like to thank everyone for reading my stories and especially those who took the time to leave a review. That you enjoy them means a lot. And if you don't...well...thanks for not flaming?_

_This story takes place after **Blink at me, Skies**. It's not necessary to have read that story to understand what's happening here as there are only a couple of mentions to the events there, but this story is set in that AU-'verse._

_This is part one of two._

Disclaimer: **The Vampire Diaries **characters et al are obviously not mine. This is based solely on the TV-verse.

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><p>Don't Fall<p>

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><p>Klaus had been following her up and down the streets of Paris for the better part of a week. On the first day, he'd nearly lost her in the crowds at Charles de Gaulle airport only to be saved by the flash of her golden hair as she jumped into a taxi outside the arrivals gate. An hour later he'd nearly caused a collision when her taxi had made a mad dash across three lanes of traffic and she'd erupted from the back seat hair flying, brightly coloured scarf flapping wildly behind her as she ran to the foot of a bridge to gaze in awe at the Eiffel Tower.<p>

The following day he'd watched her devour her weight in croissants as she strolled along the Seine, stopping every couple of minutes to snap a photograph from a slightly different angle of every historic site she passed. On the third day he'd paced along the Champs Élysées for hours, drinking more espresso than was probably healthy and cursing the female proclivity for the allure of luxury shops.

The fourth day brought with it a whole host of other problems as he'd watched her inner struggle on human feedings take its toll. She'd spent most of that day touring the massive expanse of dark catacombs beneath the city in an effort to lessen the worst of the bloodlust. By the afternoon of the fifth, she'd invited an eager young man back to her hotel room, exiting a short time later with a refreshed glow and the bounce back in her step. Klaus, watching her from across the lobby, hadn't been able to help but snicker into his drink as he'd watched her put the finishing touches on the compulsion in broken French before sending the dazed man on his way with a quick kiss and a smile. He was pretty sure her companion would forever wonder exactly what had happened between himself, the beautiful American tourist, and the pig they'd stolen.

He should have been driven mad by boredom. Paris was hardly a novelty for him anymore. He'd been the monster in the shadows claiming the unfortunate few too drunk or too stupid to hide indoors when the lamp oil burnt out and the streets plunged into darkness. He'd stood amongst the roaring crowds when King Charles VII had reclaimed the city from the British. When Marie Antoinette's blood had stained the cobbled stones of the Place de la Révolution, he had celebrated the French Revolution with exuberance and much bloodshed of his own– who was to notice a few missing bodies amongst the hundreds sent to die at the guillotine during The Terror?

Klaus knew every alleyway perfect for a clandestine feeding. There wasn't a building he hadn't set foot into, no bridge he hadn't crossed, no corner of the city too obscure or too hidden for him to have not walked. Trailing the young vampire as she discovered the city he'd known well since Notre Dame had been nothing more than foundation stones, he should have been ready to dagger himself if only to add an extra layer of complexity to the day. Instead, he found himself reluctantly intrigued by the straightforward yet excitable manner with which she approached everything from navigating the maze-like metro system to the French language.

Klaus had been following her up and down the streets of Paris for the better part of week. Caroline huffed at the thought as she made her way out of the Versailles Rive Gauche metro station and began the short walk to the Palace of Versailles itself. She couldn't spot him now, but she'd suspected he'd followed her to Paris when she thought she'd caught a glimpse of his familiar dark blond curls in her rush to find an airport taxi. Her suspicion turned into certainty when her desperate attempt to feed a couple of days later had resulted in one too conveniently agreeable Frenchmen willing to follow her up to her room.

Caroline grimaced and gave herself a mental scolding. It had been easy enough to sneak enough blood for a couple weeks in Tokyo in her luggage when she'd initially left Mystic Falls. In fact, she'd been quite proud of herself for thinking to use wine bottles. However, by the time she'd left Tokyo her supply had completely run out and with no way to replenish it, she'd left for Paris struggling with the idea that she could soon be forced to find a fresher source to fulfill her nutritional requirement.

It had been a stupid thing to do, but she hadn't been ready to go home and there had been no way she could have imagined asking Klaus for help despite how unusually nice he'd been. The last thing she'd needed, Caroline thought to herself, had been an Original with a heart of gold, but he hadn't done much more than ensure she'd have a hefty bill to cover when she checked out. It had been unsettling at first, sharing something as intimate as the death of her parents with Klaus, but the longer he'd stood with her admiring the view, not trying to console her or convince her of a brighter tomorrow, the more she'd been thankful for his presence. Nonetheless, creepy ancient vampire shadow or not, Caroline was determined to enjoy Paris.

Walking up the long wide road towards the golden gates of Versailles, Caroline's eyes widened to take in the full majesty of the centuries old palace before her. She'd be lying if she said that history class had been more than just another hour of boring dates and people to memorise on her way to a high school diploma. What little she had enjoyed had had a lot to do with ancient castles and grand palaces. Versailles had been one of the grandest and she'd spent hours imagining the kings and queens in their finery, stepping in and out of ornate carriages, dancing the nights away in vast ballrooms under chandeliers of the finest crystal.

Standing, awestruck, at the threshold to the Hall of Mirrors, Caroline realised that all her imaginings had held only a fraction of the majesty that must have been on display during that golden era. The name did not disappoint; there were wall-to-wall mirrors that made the space seem impossibly large, intricate gold filigree, a painted ceiling like nothing she'd ever seen before, and enormous crystal chandeliers that reflected brilliant light and illuminated every corner.

There was also someone poking her in the back to move forward.

"Sorry," Caroline apologised hastily and moved further into the grand ballroom. The spell was somewhat broken every time she received an elbow to the ribs from an errant child photographer or a heavy heel on her toe from the wayward step of a fellow gawker, but one of the perks of being a vampire was that she'd have no bruises to show for the rough handling. Another perk being that her sharp vision could spot a tail a lot more easily when handily assisted by the multitudes of reflective surfaces.

Caroline tried to stomp over to where Klaus was smugly leaning against the marble archway around one of the many of windows, but ended up settling for delicately picking her way through the throngs of people. When she finally reached him, she stopped a foot away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't know whether to be impressed that you managed to spot me at all or dismayed that it took you so long." Klaus smirked.

Caroline made a face and shook her bangs out of her eyes. "I'm only being polite. After all, I do have to thank you for providing me with a wonderfully prepared meal the other day."

Klaus tried not to let the little inkling of pleasure he felt at her deductive prowess make itself evident on his face. He was a little disgusted with himself for feeling it to begin with and the last thing he needed was Caroline to catch wind of it.

Caroline scowled when that infuriating smirk remained fixed on his face and pointedly glancing down at the red rope separating them.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Come on, love. What's a trip to a centuries old tourist attraction without breaking a few rules? Besides," he pushed himself away from the wall and casually closed the distance between them. "Who's actually going to stop me from touching a few walls?"

When she opened her mouth to reply, he only reached out to grab her by the shoulders and spun her around to face the room before she could get a word out.

"Amateur photographers, gawking tourists, and delusional art history majors alike, may I have your attention please." Klaus' voice boomed off the walls.

"What are you doing?" Caroline hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

Klaus turned to her for a second, letting a wide grin erupt across his face. Caroline was startled. It completely transformed his face from being always slightly menacing to something she could imagine herself finding attractive from across a crowded dance floor. Attractive enough to have her sharing a quick giggle with her girlfriends before mustering up the courage to walk on over and introduce herself, maybe ask him to dance.

He had the smallest of crinkles in the corners of his eyes - eyes that practically sparkled in an unexpectedly bright shade of blue. He had dimples for crying out loud. How had she never noticed that he had the most adorable dimples she'd ever seen?

Klaus leaned over and waggled his eyebrows in her face. "This."

Turning back towards the mass of people now all standing quietly and staring at them, Klaus raised his arms and in a voice that echoed off of every wall and sent the crystals up above ringing in high tones proclaimed, "Leave!"

And they did. Every last person turned on a dime and headed towards the exits on either side of the room. In minutes the hall had emptied out and Caroline was left staring at her shocked reflection in the giant mirror across the room.

Klaus laughed at her expression. He stepped over the red rope and walking to stand in the middle of the room directly beneath a shining chandelier. Without a word, he held out his hand to her and waited.

Caroline eyed him sceptically. "You really love this, don't you?"

"Be more specific." Klaus didn't lower his hand an inch. Perfectly still, he waited.

"You can control dozens of people with a simple widening of your eyes and a snap of your fingers."

"I didn't snap my fingers."

Caroline rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Whatever. It's a power trip."

"Power trip?" Klaus was incredulous, "Come on, Caroline! I didn't send those people face first into the palace fountains. No one's dead or dying or even waiting outside to be my next meal.

"All I did," he took a slow step forward, arm still outstretched and waiting for her to take it. "Was empty out one of the grandest ballrooms this world has ever seen. Tell me you've never imagined what it would be like to stand in this room under these lights? To dance here like the kings and queens and courtiers of ages ago?"

Klaus raised a single eyebrow and took another step closer, hand still waiting. His eyes sparkled devilishly and he inclined his head just a fraction. "I dare you."

Caroline's eyes widened. "You want to dance?"

Klaus nodded, his lips quirking up into a smile.

"Here? Now?"

Klaus took one more step and his hand was now a mere hair's breadth away from her. All she would have to do to take it would be to lift her own, but her palms were suddenly sweaty and she was completely and utterly confused by this turn of events. She'd been prepared to ream him out for following her to Paris after having explicitly asked him otherwise, not to dance with him in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles.

He was watching her carefully, taking in every minute expression that crossed her face. To say he was delighted to have caught her off guard was an understatement, but he hid it well. "I've let you do Paris your way for days and while watching you play the eager and excitable tourist had its charms, now it's time you experienced Paris my way."

Caroline took a deep breath. She was being ridiculous and Klaus was right. When would she ever get the chance to do something like this ever again?

She placed her right hand in his and her stomach did an odd little flip at his widening smile. "There's no music," she said lamely.

Klaus rewarded her with another grin as he walked backwards, pulling her gently back into the center of the room. "We won't need it."

Placing one hand at her waist and holding the other aloft, he began to move them in a familiar three step pattern. Caroline shook her head and bit her lip to keep the full force of her smile from bursting out onto her face. She couldn't quite stop the giggle that escaped.

"I think that by now, you are well-versed in the art of this particular waltz." His smile disarmed her and she let herself be carried across the room in his arms, by his sure steps. Caroline allowed herself to relish the moment. The sun streamed in through the pristine windows to shine brilliantly off the dazzling crystal over head. Tiny rainbows of multicoloured light reflected off of every mirror, creating glorious patterns of intricately webbed light at their feet.

Klaus' hand was light and deliciously warm in her grasp against her cooled skin. The other was comfortably heavy against her back as he confidently led them around the room, slowly spinning them through the panes of golden sunlight. Caroline could almost hear the music as he guided her through the steps, his feet never faltering or missing a beat she could swear she was beginning to hear in the back of her mind. She had to fight the urge to hum the tune as it played louder in her head.

Closing her eyes, she imagined dozens of other pairs out on the dance floor in splendid ball gowns, dancing to the exquisite strands of – Klaus' ringtone? Caroline's eyes flew open and she found herself staring intimately into the blue-eyed gaze of her dance partner. When had he gotten so close?

"Hold that thought, will you, love?" Klaus released her hand and reached into the back pocket of his jeans for his cell phone. Glancing down at the name on the screen, it was as if shutters were drawn over his eyes and they became impossible to read. The smile wiped from his face, he let his hand fall from her waist and walked away to take the call. Caroline was left to stare blankly at his back.

She couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but she was almost certain most of it wasn't in English but in impeccably accented French. Too curious to be appropriately impressed, Caroline tried her best to translate with the basics she knew, but the only thing she could be certain of was that Klaus was definitely not happy with whatever information the person on the other end of the conversation was giving him. His words were clipped, his tone frustrated yet eerily calm.

Abruptly, Klaus spun around, stuffing the cell phone back into his pocket as he stomped over to her.

"You know," Klaus reached out and grabbed her hand as he stormed past. Caroline was forced to keep up or be dragged behind him. "I preferred the flip mobiles. Those were much more satisfying when ending an upsetting phone call – not these new fangled touch screens all the kids seem to love these days."

"Klaus..." Caroline tried to pull her hand free, but his grip was like a steel vice around her hand.

"We're leaving, Caroline." His tone brooked no argument.

His entire demeanour had changed almost in the blink of an eye. He'd been normal and kind and almost painfully human. She'd actually forgotten for those moments when he'd masterfully danced with her across the floor who he was. But this – now – as he cast vicious looks at everyone they passed and compelled the masses to part before them as they stormed through the long hallways back to the palace entrance, this was the Klaus who'd used Elena to manipulate Stefan against his friends, who'd turned her once-boyfriend into an unwilling hybrid servant. He'd killed Jenna. Caroline mentally slapped herself.

There was a lone black Audi waiting directly outside the golden gates, its windows tinted so dark they blended in with the body of the car. Yanking the rear door open, Klaus sent her an impatient look and waited for her to climb in hastily before following her and slamming the door shut with enough force to rock the vehicle.

"Drive."

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><p><em>Feedback, of any kind, is always appreciated.<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_ So, apparently I'm a lying liar who lies. This story will actually end up being either 3 or 4 chapters. But apparently my love of classical mythology just could not be denied. Yay?_

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><p>Don't Fall - Chapter 2<p>

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><p>"Where are we going, Klaus?" Caroline had remained silent since they'd driven away from Versailles over ten minutes ago and aside from the single order he'd given the driver, Klaus hadn't spoken a word either. The only sound was the upbeat French pop music playing softly through the car's speakers. Klaus hadn't so much as looked at her after climbing into the vehicle nor had he given her any indication as to where they were headed. A stirring of unease was beginning to settle uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach.<p>

Klaus snuck a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. She was tense. It was obvious in the rigid set of her shoulders, the distracted way she kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, the rapid tapping of her fingers against the door.

"We're not going anywhere, sweetheart," Klaus replied, his voice level. He tapped the driver on the shoulder to get his attention. "You're being dropped off at your hotel and I'm taking care of some business."

"Je suis désolé, monsieur, mais ce n'est pas possible." The driver shook his head and met Klaus' narrowed eyes directly and unwaveringly in the rear view mirror. "On m'a dit de vous conduire directment là-bas."

Klaus' hand tightened on the back of the driver's seat and he resisted the urge to rip the headrest straight off. The driver simply fixed his gaze back on the road, his head moving slightly with the beat of the music.

Despite not being one hundred percent certain about the turn the conversation had taken, Caroline was fairly sure it hadn't been what Klaus had expected and he didn't seem to be taking it well. That should have been enough to grant her at least a small amount of satisfaction, but Caroline had the sneaking suspicion that she had suddenly becoming an unwitting player in a game and no one had bothered to hand her a rulebook.

"What's going on, Klaus?" Caroline's eyes nervously flickered between the seemingly oblivious driver and the increasingly irritated Klaus. When he refused to so much as look at her let alone answer her question, Caroline tried again, her voice louder this time, "Klaus, will you please tell me what's going on and where we're going?"

"No." Klaus continued to stare intently at the back of the driver's head.

The unease in Caroline's stomach was now threatening to turn into full blown panic. She was beginning to feel trapped. It was a feeling she had become all too familiar with over the past several months and she refused to let it happen again. Hands curled into fists, she forced herself to feel the sharp sting of her nails biting into the palms of her hands instead. Forcing the rising panic back down, Caroline took a couple calming breaths. She knew she needed to maintain a clear head. The driver's eyes caught hers in the rear view mirror and he gave her an almost imperceptible wink.

"Monsieur, vous devriez lui dire." The driver's eyes were back on the road. Caroline was sure Klaus had been too intent on studying the passing landscape to have noticed the wink, but the driver's words had brought Klaus' head snapping forwards with almost lightening speed.

"Ce n'est pas votre affaire," Klaus snapped.

Unperturbed, the driver calmly switched lanes. "La Pythia voudrait qu'elle sache."

Klaus looked like he was preparing to launch himself into the driver's seat and make a meal of the man. Completely oblivious, the driver's eyes lit up when a new song began playing on the radio. Caroline had had enough.

"Would someone tell me what the Hell is going on here!" Caroline exclaimed throwing her hands up. "And not in French. In English. In plain old boring English that I can understand because as romantic as French is and all, right now I'm stuck in a moving car going I-don't-know-where with one guy whose got more mood swings than Lady Gaga does outfits and another who apparently knows all the words to every pop song on the radio, and I'm kind of starting to freak out."

She looked at the driver who was now grinning wildly as he drove before turning to Klaus who was scowling at her. "Please."

"Fine." Klaus pressed his palms together and brought them to his lips. "It doesn't seem like I'm being left with much of a choice." He glared at the back of the driver's head.

"I came to Paris to find someone." Klaus spoke slowly, unsure of how much he wanted Caroline to know. "A clairvoyant."

Caroline resisted the urge to gape at him. "You came to Paris," she paused for a moment, trying to wrap her head around this unexpected news. "For a psychic?"

Klaus frowned. "Try to pay attention, Caroline. I came to Paris to find a clairvoyant. In point of fact, I came to Paris to find _the_ clairvoyant."

"Alright," Caroline nodded slowly. "And her name is Pythia?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "She is the Pythia."

"Okay." Still slowly nodding her head, Caroline cast a quick glance at the driver in the desperate hope that he would somehow provide some clarification. He was tapping out a beat on the steering wheel instead.

"Nope," Caroline started shaking her head. "Nope, nope, nope. I have no idea what you're talking about. She's a clairvoyant, but not a psychic. She's the Pythia, but she's not Pythia." Caroline levelled Klaus with an incredulous stare. "What's the difference between a clairvoyant and a psychic anyway?"

Klaus let his head fall back against the plush leather of the Audi's interior. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He hadn't had a headache in a thousand years, but he imagined that if he could still get them, this would be about the time one would pop up.

"The Pythia is the head of an ancient order of powerful clairvoyants dating back to Ancient Greece." He turned towards her to gauge her reaction. "Back then, she was the priestess at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi."

"The Oracle?" Caroline asked.

Klaus nodded. "In the fourth century, when the Emperor of Rome decreed a ban on paganism and ordered all temples closed, the Pythia and the followers of Apollo were forced into hiding and have remained so ever since."

"So she's what? Older than you?"

Klaus cast her a sideways glance. Caroline shrugged innocently when he levelled a look at her as if to say, "Really?"

Shaking his head, Klaus replied, "No. The Pythia is mortal. When one Pythia dies, a new one is chosen to take her place."

Caroline thought about that for a few moments. "Okay, but you said she's not a psychic."

"Not the way most humans think of psychics, no." Klaus glanced impatiently out the window, wondering how much longer this drive was going to take. "In the centuries since they went into hiding, the members of her order spread myths about the Pythia and the others like her - some true, most of it false. The point was misdirection. If the idea of clairvoyance was discredited then the Pythia would be safe."

Caroline frowned in confusion. "Safe? Safe from what?"

"Safe from everyone." Crossing his arms, Klaus smirked at her. "We can't all be shining examples of human virtue, sweetheart, with good morals and principles and the like."

Caroline threw him a disgusted look and Klaus pretended not to notice.

"The truth of the world is that if people knew that the Pythia and her order existed and believed in what she can do, well," Klaus paused to look out the window again, taking stock of the fact that they'd just entered a residential neighbourhood. "What do you think the most powerful people in the world wouldn't give for a little insight into their enemies' deepest and darkest secrets?"

Klaus turned his head to her and fixed her with a piercing stare. "Or maybe even a glimpse into the future?"

Caroline shuddered. "Is that why you wanted to find her?"

Klaus cast her a predatory smile and shook his head at her. "That, sweetheart, is not on the menu for today." The driver shifted slightly in his seat as though he was preparing to interject again, but Klaus cut him off with a growl, "Your kidneys, however, are a different matter if you so much as utter one syllable more."

The driver just shrugged, but remained silent. The conversation clearly over, Caroline leaned back and tried to relax as all the new information sorted itself out in her head. Klaus had come to Paris to find this woman, he'd admitted as much, but then why follow her around the city?

The car slowed down, the driver carefully manoeuvring it into a tight spot on the side of the street.

"Finally," Klaus muttered. He opened the car door and stormed out before the driver had even turned off the engine.

Unsure of what to do, Caroline peered nervously out the window. Klaus had clearly told her all he'd wanted her to know, but she wasn't sure exactly what he expected her to do now.

"Seriously?" Caroline cried aloud to herself. She squared her shoulders and scooted on the leather seat towards the door. "Caroline Forbes does not sit around in cars waiting for boys."

A large hand appeared in front of her just as she reached the edge of the seat. Surprised, she looked up into the widely grinning face of their driver. Taking his hand and letting him pull her out with ease, she straightened her clothing before politely turning to thank him for more than just the chivalry. He'd barely known her for ten minutes and he'd stood up for her in front of Klaus. She got the feeling that he and Klaus knew each other better than Klaus was letting on.

He still held her hand lightly in his grasp. His dark brown eyes alive with laughter, he raised her hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss across the top. Pleasantly surprised by the gesture, Caroline gave him a large genuine smile. She felt herself relax.

With a wink, he nodded in the direction Klaus had headed before turning around and climbing back into the vehicle. Turning around, Caroline ran to catch up with Klaus as he entered one of the apartment buildings down the street. She found him leaning against the wall by the elevator, arms crossed, and waiting for her.

"Finally managed to extricate yourself from the arms of your new admirer, I see." Klaus' face remained bland, but his tone was mocking.

Caroline tossed her hair over her shoulder and stood directly in front of the elevator doors, watching the numbers above countdown to the first floor. She refused to look at him. "He was being polite. It seems to be in short supply these days."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Caroline waited for Klaus to walk in, but he merely gestured with one hand and a raised eyebrow for her to enter first. Caroline moved towards the back and the doors slid shut. Klaus pressed the button for the top floor.

"So," Caroline sighed. "An oracle? Really?"

"You're a vampire, Caroline. Your best friend is a witch and your once-boyfriend's a werewolf vampire hybrid." He looked back over his shoulder at her, his face serious yet his eyes were bright almost as though they were laughing at her. "And clairvoyance is where you draw the line?"

Caroline wanted to yell at him that this was different only she wasn't entirely sure herself how exactly it qualified as such. Instead she pushed herself off the wall and moved to stand beside him. She glanced up at him, her eyes questioning. "What's she like? The Pythia."

The doors slid open and she followed him down the hallway.

"You believe me now? That was fast." Klaus smirked.

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know yet. I just want to know what to expect."

They stopped in front of the last door at the end of the hall. Klaus knocked then turned to look at her. "Just one thing for now; these ancient order sorts are sticklers for propriety and titles."

Caroline narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but the door was pulled open before she could question him further. Standing in front of her was a young woman with olive skin, dark chestnut hair, and striking hazel eyes.

"You are late, Nicolas." She spoke with a French accent, her voice low and smooth. Caroline couldn't help but think of lounge singers and smoky bars although, that wasn't at all what Caroline had been expecting. Granted, she really hadn't had too much experience with ancient Greek psychics, but this woman wasn't that much older than her. She barely came up to Caroline's chin in her barefeet and was dressed in plain blue jeans and a short-sleeved white tunic – definitely not what Caroline had pictured in her mind on the elevator ride up.

"Tell that to your driver," Klaus answered sharply as they followed her inside, letting the door shut behind them with a soft click. "I'm fairly certain he drove us around the city twice before finally deigning to do his job."

The young woman tilted her head back to meet Klaus eye to eye. "He _was_ doing his job."

She shifted her gaze over to Caroline. The black kohl around her eyes made them appear sharper. It also helped the flecks of gold stand out amidst the green and brown, granting her an almost cat-like appearance. Caroline tried not to appear as nervous as she truly felt under that penetrating stare.

"Nicolas," the woman prompted, clearly waiting for an introduction. "Do not be rude as well."

Klaus scowled but remained silent, arms folded across his chest.

Caroline swallowed and fought against the nerves in her stomach. "Ummm, hi," she stuttered before taking a breath and steadying herself. "Sorry. He's rude, but I'm Caroline."

Caroline thrust her hand out, unsure of whether or not you were supposed to shake hands with the Pythia or kiss on both cheeks like the French, but she figured she'd stick with what she was most comfortable. She was surprised when Klaus intercepted and caught her hand in his own, tugging it back down. Afraid that she'd done something wrong, Caroline was preparing to give another apology when she noticed the small smile on the woman's face.

"Do not worry, Nicolas. I was not planning on harming your friend."

Klaus's scowl deepened, but he didn't let go of Caroline's hand.

"Caroline." Her smile grew. "I am Amina."

"Amina?" Caroline asked before she could stop herself.

Amina laughed not unkindly. "Oui. I do not think it wrong to call myself something other than the Pythia, do you? After all, it is not much of a name."

Caroline slowly turned to Klaus, an accusation written plainly across her face. "Titles and propriety, huh?"

Klaus merely widened his eyes innocently and he slowly shook his head. "What can I say? It's been a while since my last visit. Clearly things have changed."

Amina only continued to stare at them with an air of detached amusement. Klaus noticed and immediately dropped Caroline's hand, stepping in front of her to speak directly to the Pythia.

"Yes, yes, this is all very nice. You're Amina and she's Caroline and I'm not known for my patience." The growl was back in his voice, this entire situation making him uneasy. "So what do you say we do what I came here for?"

"Of course, Nicolas." Amina inclined her head and turned towards a door on the left wall. "We would not want you to become upset."

Caroline watched her move with light graceful steps through a brightly lit living room of dark woods and leather furnishings, strewn with richly coloured fabrics. The walls were covered in bookshelves and the floor, a rich mahogany, with intricately woven rugs.

"Wait here," Klaus pushed her down into an overly cushioned armchair and fixed her with a stern look. "And whatever you do, Caroline, just don't touch anything."

Caroline glanced down at the worn blue fabric of the armchair he'd forced her into then back up at him, her eyebrows raised mockingly.

"Else," Klaus muttered, his jaw clenched. "Don't touch anything else."

Caroline shook him off. She crossed her arms and let out a huff of exasperation as she leaned back into the chair that threatened to swallow her entirely.

"Oh, just go and get your palm read already." Caroline crossed her legs and looked up at him with impatience. "I've got a date with the Eiffel Tower -" Caroline checked her watch, "- in two hours and I refuse to miss it because of a foggy crystal ball and wayward spirits."

Eyes narrowed, Klaus turned to follow Amina. Across the room, she patiently held a solid oak door open for him with a slender arm seemingly effortlessly. Her gaze flickered over to Caroline again as he stepped around the floor cushions and his unease grew. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that bringing Caroline here had been a mistake, but what really made his hackles rise was the growing certainty that he hadn't really had a choice in the matter. He hated being cornered - hated not having the upper hand.

Clenching his jaw he stepped into the small room, walking in to stand by the single piece of furniture in the room – a small circular table in the exact center holding the sole source of light, a large black candle, its base thick with melted wax. It looked as though it had already been burning for hours.

He cast a questioning glance back at Amina over his shoulder and she spoke before he could get the words to move past his lips, her eyes still fixed on Caroline, "I told you, Nicolas that I do not like to be kept waiting."

Klaus tensed and waited for her to step inside. He didn't speak. It would hardly matter whether he chose to or not. He had the sickening feeling that much of what happened here, in her rooms, in the home of the Pythia, was under no one's control but the Pythia herself.

Finally, she stepped over the threshold separating the colourful and brightly lit living room from the darkness of this private space. Her head snapped towards him and he was taken aback by her eyes, now a blazing green. He found it impossible to break the hold her intense stare had on him and his body grew increasingly tense as the corners of her lips turned up into a slow seductive smile. The door closed silently behind her, plunging the room into darkness save for the wildly flickering candle at his back.

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><p><em>Feedback, of any kind, is always appreciated.<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm baa-aaack._

_*crickets*_

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><p>Don't Fall - Chapter 3<p>

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><p>Caroline hadn't expected them to take longer than ten or fifteen minutes, but half an hour after Klaus and Amina had disappeared behind the heavy oak door she was still waiting patiently for it to open again. Truth be told, she wasn't waiting all that patiently. Five minutes after that door hadn't budged so much as an inch, her foot had begun tapping a steady rhythm on the hardwood floor. Fifteen minutes in and her fingers had started fiddling with the brightly covered throw draped across one arm of the armchair Klaus had shoved her down onto. Twenty minutes later and Caroline figured she could probably name every title on the bookshelf across the room from memory – even the ones in languages she found it impossible to decipher.<p>

Caroline let her head fall back to hit the soft cushions and sighed loudly. She began counting the thin, spidery cracks on the ceiling. Thirty seconds into her count, she got distracted by one particularly long and unusually large crack.

"I guess psychics don't believe in home repair," Caroline muttered to herself. Immediately she admonished herself under her breath, "Not a psychic, Caroline – a clairvoyant. _The _clairvoyant." Even she had to admit that her Klaus imitation needed some work, but he wasn't there to frown at her so she stuck her tongue out at the ceiling in defiance.

Cocking her head to side as she continued tracing the cracks with her eyes, Caroline figured that the Pythia – Amina, Caroline amended in a whisper – would probably be the first to know if her ceiling was going to crumble, anyway.

A flash of blue caught her eye. Caroline frowned, raising her head up off the armchair to see what had caused it. To her right was the balcony, but nothing there looked like it could have caused the flash of colour. To her left was the door and directly in front of her was the massive wall of books and the door that Klaus and Amina still hadn't walked back through.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Caroline let her head fall back again, confident she'd probably just imagined it out of boredom. The moment her head hit the back of the armchair, a brighter stroke of blue and a streak of red hit the ceiling. Head snapping back up, Caroline twisted around to look behind her. There on an otherwise empty heavy wooden table was what looked like a heavy crystal dangling from a thick braided leather cord on a simple iron stand.

She turned back around to face the books. Pursing her lips, her forehead wrinkled into a frown, Caroline debated the costs and benefits of defying Klaus' order.

"Technically," Caroline reasoned aloud, "Klaus only said not to touch anything."

That was enough for her and she was up and out of the armchair that had held her captive for the better part of half an hour. Stretching her arms high above her head, Caroline sighed in relief as her muscles loosened and she could properly straighten her back. Cursing Klaus and his eccentric-psychic-needing ways under her breath, Caroline turned and walked slowly over to the table bearing the intriguing little necklace.

The closer she got to it, the more she realised that 'little' wasn't exactly the best description of what hung off the leather cord. It was larger than she expected and not a crystal at all but glass; except the glass wasn't clear. Half a foot away from the table, Caroline bit her lip and glanced quickly to either side as if expecting guards to jump out at her from behind the heavy drapes for daring to move away from that blasted armchair. Figuring that there was probably as much harm in touching a wooden table as there was in touching a ratty old armchair – as in none because Klaus was obviously paranoid – Caroline delicately placed just her fingertips along its edge and crouched down to put herself at eye level with the pendant.

Caroline squinted. It really was glass. It was the sort of glass she used to find washed up on the shores of the beach as a kid while on holidays with her parents. Her father had explained to her little eight year old self what happened to shards of glass that spent weeks, months, even years being pushed from place to place at the whim of the ocean's currents. Her mother had smiled as Caroline had collected every piece she could find – always letting out a little squeal whenever she'd find her favourite shade of blue – and had dutifully carried them all home every time despite the fact that Caroline's growing collection had been rapidly approaching epic proportions.

She remembered getting home, excitedly dumping them all out on her bed, and making up stories with her dad about each piece. She would wrinkle her nose at the ones that had _obviously _only been pieces of nasty beer bottles, but for others she'd imagined romantic stories of precious items of enormous value being lost at sea during massive storms. Her mother had always left a glass of water by her nightstand on those nights and Caroline would use it to bring shine back to her treasures when they would lose their luster.

Caroline felt a drop of water hit her hand; suddenly realising it had been a tear – she was crying. There was a knot in her throat she couldn't quite swallow down and she blinked rapidly to clear her swimming vision. Unsure of what had started that particular barrage of memories, Caroline felt her stomach twist when the pendant came back into focus. She narrowed her eyes and looked closer at the pendant, forcing the memory of her mother tucking the covers up to her chin as she faded from exhaustive excitement out of her mind and somewhere far away.

It wasn't sea glass, Caroline decided upon closer inspection. She gripped the edge of the table tightly as she brought her head closer, tilting it to the side as she did. It looked almost hollow. As though someone had taken two identically irregular halves of hollowed out glass and trapped a wisp of smoke between them to give it that same cloudy effect as sea glass.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear Klaus repeating his instructions to not touch anything over and over, but as she watched her hand move closer to the dangling pendant seemingly of its own accord, his voice faded to nothing. All sound dropped away and there was only a deafening silence that wrapped itself around her like a cocoon. There was nothing but the sound of her own steady breathing. Caroline imagined that if she'd still needed her heart to pump blood, it would be beating hard enough to echo throughout the room.

Her index finger stopped just barely a hair's breadth away from the glass pendant. Caroline swore she saw the smoke swirl away from the edges of the pendant and towards the tip of her finger, but decided it was impossible. Klaus' voice was back in her head, barely above a whisper but the harder she focused on it, the louder it got. That unpleasant twist in her stomach had worsened until it felt like there was something within her, gnawing at her insides, struggling to break free. The harder she focused on the steady lyrical cadence of Klaus' words in her head, the less it seemed like she was merely moments away from bursting open, so she forced herself to _hear_ him.

Caroline exhaled heavily, hoping to ease the tightness in her chest. Her breath blew the pendant back and away from her hand, but in the split second it took her to realise what would happen next, the pendant was already swinging towards the outstretched hand she couldn't seem to pull away.

Caroline watched with wide eyes as the pendant made contact with the pad of her index finger.

It didn't bounce off.

The smoke inside cleared.

Caroline gasped, pulling her hand away as if she'd been burned.

"Caroline."

Klaus' voice – not in her head this time – brought everything rushing back and unwrapped the stifling cocoon of silence around her; the noise of traffic from the streets below, the steady tick tock of the clock on the wall, the sounds of a loud soccer game from the television next door.

In the blink of an eye, Caroline pulled herself up and spun around. Immediately, her eyes landed on Klaus. His face was blank. She took that as a bad sign. Her eyes flew over to where Amina stood a couple of steps behind him and to the side, her head cocked to one side and a small smile on her face. Caroline took that as a good sign, but apologised anyway.

Amina held up one hand to stop the words that were spilling out of Caroline like a flood.

"Please," Amina said with a reassuring smile. "There is no need to apologise. You did nothing wrong." She gestured with one hand around the room from the bookshelves and over to the pendant. "If there were something I did not want touched, I would not have it out."

"Simply because one can do something," Klaus spoke slowly, as though he were speaking to a child. "Doesn't mean one should do something."

Despite her earlier panic and subsequent relief at his curiously calming voice, she now found him supremely irritating. Ignoring the unsettling feeling in her stomach, she scowled at him and turned her gaze back to Amina. Smiling, she nodded her head in thanks.

Amina stepped around Klaus, walked towards Caroline, and removed the pendant from its stand. She held it up by its braided cord so the large piece of now clear blue glass hung between them.

"It is beautiful," Amina remarked. Her hazel eyes flickered between the pendant and Caroline's, a large smile erupting onto her face. "It matches your eyes, Caroline."

Amina turned her head to raise an eyebrow at Klaus. "Does it not, Nicolas?"

Klaus only glared in response, his mouth tight.

Amina rolled her eyes at him and faced Caroline once more. "Do not pay any attention to him. Nicolas is too uptight for his own good - paranoid even." Amina winked and Caroline couldn't help but smile a little in return.

Questions about that pendant bubbled up inside her. Before she could begin to ask a single one, Klaus had moved beside her and was tugging her away from Amina who still held the pendant raised between them.

"Amina," Klaus began. Amina raised an eyebrow. "It's been a pleasure, as always. I would, however, appreciate it if you didn't attempt to indoctrinate my -" Klaus paused, unsure. Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. "- companion."

Amina shrugged and allowed her hand to fall back down to her side. "As I said," Amina leaned forward towards Caroline as she spoke in a stage whisper. "Nicolas is very uptight."

Caroline fought the urge to laugh. She raised her eyebrows in her surprise and stared down at the Pythia. The tightness was gone. That consuming, sickening feeling that had made her want to run screaming out of her own skin had been replaced by the urge to giggle at what hadn't even been a very good joke.

"Well, while this has been a very informative and eventful visit," Klaus' firm grip on her elbow guided her closer towards the door. "I'm afraid Caroline has an all too important date with the Eiffel Tower."

Caroline pulled her arm free, turning to follow Klaus without being dragged around like a dog on a leash. A light hand on her other arm stopped her mid step and her head turned back around, a questioning look on her face that quickly faded into confusion when she looked down and saw the panic creep onto Amina's face. Panic she wasn't quick enough to hide behind a smile and a quick shake of her head.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked hesitantly. A psychic had just grabbed her arm and then looked about ready to now only throw up, but ready to run for the proverbial hills. There couldn't be anything good about that, Caroline thought to herself.

"Amina, what did you see?" Caroline repeated, louder this time – more insistent. She glanced at Klaus in the corner of her eye. Doubt began to creep back into her mind about his intentions; why he was in Paris, why she was with him in Paris, what he could possibly want with her.

"Nothing."

That wasn't exactly what Caroline had been hoping to hear. Her shoulders tensed and she reached blindly to grab onto Klaus. Her fingers dug into his forearm and she hoped he understood how desperately she suddenly needed to get out of the apartment.

Amina continued to stare at her, her hazel eyes wide, bottom lip caught firmly between her teeth. Abruptly, she tore her gaze away and shook her head firmly, hair flying out in every direction. When she looked back up, her face was carefully neutral.

Carefully, Amina loosened her grip on Caroline's arm and stepped back. "It was very nice to meet you, Caroline." Her accent was much heavier now, the slight tremble in her voice betraying her.

"Likewise," Caroline responded, her voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.

Amina walked them to the front door and with a vague nod, saw them out and back into the hallway.

"Nicolas," was all she said before firmly shutting the door. The door's echo was the only sound that followed them back towards the elevator. Both Caroline and Klaus refused to speak. Caroline figured Klaus simply had nothing to say to her, secretive about his dealings as he was, while she was too preoccupied trying not to lose her mind with the knowledge that a freaking psychic had just touched her and seen absolutely nothing.

Did that mean something?

They were riding the elevator back down to the ground floor and Caroline kept sneaking looks at Klaus trying to decipher something – anything – from his carefully neutral expression. Other than telling her about Amina – and Caroline figured that had more to do with Amina demanding it herself than any express wish on Klaus' part to keep her in the loop – Klaus was being as forthcoming with information as the CIA.

They stepped back out into the still bright sunshine of early evening and Klaus sped up to walk in front of her. While he searched for a taxi, Caroline followed behind at a slower pace, her mind still racing with unanswered questions about Amina, psychics, that glass pendant, and what Klaus could possibly be doing mixed up in all of this.

"Oh my God!" Caroline stopped abruptly on the sidewalk, eyes wide. "That's why you're actually here. That's why you found me in Tokyo and followed me to Paris."

Klaus' brow furrowed and he turned back to look at her. "I'm not following."

"That's why your psychic -"

"For the last time, she's not -"

"- couldn't see anything when she touched me." Caroline pointed an accusatory finger at him, her voice rising, "It's because I don't have a future for her to see."

"She's not a psychic, Caroline." Klaus threw his hands up in the air and stalked back to her. It was light out and there were still far too many people even on this more out-of-the-way street for them to be having this conversation. He was beginning to lose his patience.

"You would do well to remember where we are, sweetheart, and who you're with." Klaus's voice was low and just approaching dangerous. "I suggest you save the theatrics for the privacy of your hotel room."

"Theatrics?" Caroline's voice rose an octave. "Madame Cleo back there tells me I don't have a tomorrow to look forward to and you want me to save the theatrics?"

"What I want," Klaus lightly gripped her upper arms in his hands and levelled his gaze at her. His blue eyes flashed yellow in warning, "Is for you to stop screaming in public about things that I may later have to kill some humans for hearing."

Caroline winced and let her head drop. Closing her eyes, she gently shook her head to clear it and tried to grasp onto the few tendrils of common sense she could. She could feel the hysteria bubbling in her chest, her stomach twisting and burning with it.

"I'm your leverage." It was all starting to make a sick sort of sense in her head now. "You can't have Bonnie interfering in whatever new plot you're cooking up with that evil bitch of a sister of yours, and you can't have Elena running off with your only supply of hybrid juice."

Caroline's voice shook with anger, "So you used me to keep them both in line."

She felt his hands tighten almost painfully on her arms before one loosened its grip. His forefinger and thumb on her chin had her eyes flying open and she found herself immobile, her body held in place by the steely grip of his hands yet unable to resist as he lifted her head to meet his hardened stare.

Klaus spoke slowly and softly, his voice barely above a whisper, "Let's pretend that's all true, shall we?" He cocked his head to one side and tightened his hold on her chin. "Let's really think about this truly awful scenario you've created in your head. Think long and think hard, love, about the lengths such a person would go to protect such a dastardly plot."

His eyes were now more thoughtful, but no less piercing and no less threatening. "Now I want you to look around, Caroline."

Klaus forced her head to turn towards the park across the street where children played under the watchful eyes of their parents. Their bright laughter rang in her ears as her eyes took in the couples lounging in the shade of large oak trees, the young boys passing around a soccer ball, the gaggle of excited teenage girls speaking in rapid French and gesturing wildly, and the sidelong glances they were getting from the people who had to step around them on the sidewalk.

"I'm sure that you've surmised by now exactly how powerful my hybrid status makes me." His breath was hot on her ear, his voice calm but carrying an underlying tone of menace, "But even I can't compel all these people to forget the crazy American screaming about psychics and fortunes -" He turned her head sharply to meet his gaze, eyes flashing a dangerous yellow, "- and creatures that shouldn't exist."

He dropped his fingers from her chin and smoothed his hands down the length of her arms, clasping both of her hands in his.

"Now," Klaus spoke quietly and calmly. His eyes had returned to their customary blue. "I believe you have a date with the Eiffel Tower that we wouldn't you to miss." He firmly directed her towards a parked taxi she hadn't noticed pull up and opened the door for her, nudging her to climb in.

Caroline looked up at him, the car door open between them, her face blank. All the tension had drained from her body and she felt numb. She saw the quick flash of surprise in his eyes when she placed her hand gently on top of his.

"Just tell me if I'm right, Klaus," Caroline said softly, her voice even and calm and foreign to her ears. Too much had happened over the past few weeks. Maybe this was her mind simply setting itself to a new level of normal.

"You're wrong, Caroline," Klaus replied and it was Caroline's turn to be surprised. There was a tiny voice inside her head screaming that he was lying. He had no reason to tell her the truth after all, and if she was just an expendable part of his plan then he had even less of a reason to be honest with her. A still louder voice was calmly beginning to list all the ways he could have already taken advantage of her over the past few days while he'd essentially stalked her through the streets of Paris.

Caroline shook her head to clear it of the warring voices that refused to shut up. "So why are you here? What's going on?" She frowned up at him in confusion when he merely responded with a sad smile and gestured for her to get into the car.

She shook her head in defiance this time, her grip on his hand tightening until her knuckles turned white. "Not until you tell me why you're here and why I'm with you."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, nostrils flaring, but Caroline stood firm. Klaus knew he could force her into the car. He could overpower her, threaten her, or he could simply leave her standing alone on a sidewalk in Paris with no answers and no obligations towards her whatsoever. Her eyes – wide and bright and boring into him - pleaded with him to do otherwise, however, and that ever present tightness in his chest that had appeared at about the same time she had in his life pushed him once more to go against the better judgement he'd learnt over thousands of years of existence.

"Not here," Klaus told her. "I'll tell you, Caroline, but not here. Please, get in the taxi."

Caroline had two choices; trust him or don't. To make that choice she would need to hear whatever story he chose to tell her.

She climbed into the taxi. Moments later, Klaus followed her in.

"La Tour Eiffel, s'il vous plait," Klaus told the driver.

As they drove away, Caroline idly wondered if she wouldn't be better off simply tossing herself off the top of it.

Klaus turned towards her and after a moment's hesitation began to speak.

Definitely, thought Caroline only moments later, the Eiffel Tower was definitely beginning to look like the better option.

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><p><em>Feedback, of any kind, is always appreciated.<em>


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